Joe Nathan column -- What drew a sustained standing ovation from more 1,000 Minnesotans last week? It was the remarkable efforts of Geoffrey Canada in the Harlem section of New York - and his skilled combination of research-based ideas for improving public education.

Canada has achieved considerable success in Harlem by using suggestions from both major philosophies about ways to significantly improve public education.

Some creative ways to improve education were shared by Geoffrey Canada in a speech earlier this week to a crowd of educators at the Minneapolis Convention Center. He is shown making a point about his education philosophies. (Photo by Minneapolis Foundation)

by Joe Nathan

What drew a sustained standing ovation from more 1,000 Minnesotans last week? It was the remarkable efforts of Geoffrey Canada in the Harlem section of New York - and his skilled combination of research-based ideas for improving public education.

Canada has achieved considerable success in Harlem by using suggestions from both major philosophies about ways to significantly improve public education.

One side says that we need excellent early childhood education, more involved parents, and healthier youngsters. People in this group insist that schools, by themselves, cannot produce excellent results with most children from low income, limited English speaking families.

The other side insists that schools can be held accountable for results. This philosophy points to schools around the U.S. that have succeeded, in part with a "no excuses” orientation, a longer school day and year. These schools often promote both academic skills and qualities like responsibility, dependability and punctuality.

Canada says it's time to end this debate: both groups have part of the truth. He's created the Harlem Children's Zone in 100 square blocks that include some of the most economically depressed parts of the United States. With support from foundations and government sources, the zone has 6 basic principles:

• Begin early. There is extensive work with parents before their children are born, prenatal care, and assistance while the children are infants

• Stay with the youngster from birth to the time she/he enters college, using approaches that have worked with students from low income families. They include a longer day and year, and challenging youngsters, starting in elementary school with things like chess.

• Continue working with families. Help them understand how to parent youngsters from 1-18 years old.

• Redesign schools, and welcome competition. Canada has created a series of charter public schools, and describes himself as "a strong advocate of charters.” He also advocates higher pay, and more accountability for teachers.

• Make community organizations into strong allies of schools and students. Students in the zone are expected to "give back,” while community organizations work with the schools, students and families.

• Use evaluation to assess and refine programs.

Canada is not the first person to propose these ideas. But he may be the first to implement these ideas on such a broad scale, serving about 10,000 students.

His background gives him considerable credibility. Canada comes from a low income, sometimes violent area of New York City called the South Bronx. He earned a Master's degree at Harvard.

President Barack Obama has suggested creation of 20 or more "children's zones” based on the Harlem Children Zone. Twenty Minnesota state legislators of both parties and a number of foundation officials joined the meeting last week to discuss how these ideas might be used in Minnesota. His presentation was sponsored by the Minneapolis Foundation, joined by several other Minnesota foundations. The speech soon will be available at http://www.MinnesotaMeeting.com.

So why did Canada receive a standing ovation? First, he shows how to take the best ideas of varying philosophies. He's not stuck on one side or the other. Second, he has strong results. His pragmatism and passion are needed and necessary, now.

Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .